The story of Minion Tic Tacs: How a social media craze drove Ferrero's NPD

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David Tiltman, Event Reports, Cannes Lions, June 2015

This event report explains how Tic Tacs, the confectionery brand owned by Ferrero, developed a new 'Minions' themed product following social media demand. View Summary

This event report explains how Tic Tacs, the confectionery brand owned by Ferrero, developed a new 'Minions' themed product following social media demand.

Following the release of two 'Despicable Me' films, Ferrero noticed a large number of comments online comparing its Minion characters to Tic Tacs.

The brand decided not to rush out an opportunistic ad or piece of content, but to actually create what fans wanted - Minions Tic Tacs.

This meant upgrading the company's manufacturing processes to allow printing on the Tic Tac 'pills', and the new product was ready just in time for the release of a Minions spin-off film.

To tackle concerns the Minions would overshadow the brand, Tic Tacs were central to all digital assets in the campaign.

As the product rolled out around the world in line with the film release it has had a huge impact, including stocks selling out in several markets.

2

Research drives Dannon’s Light & Fit reinvention

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Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, ARF Re:think, March 2015

This event report covers how Dannon, the dairy group, has enhanced the status of its Light & Fit brand - a player in the very competitive US weight-management category. View Summary

This event report covers how Dannon, the dairy group, has enhanced the status of its Light & Fit brand - a player in the very competitive US weight-management category.

While Light & Fit was a popular product, it enjoyed little emotional equity and was not seen as a supportive partner for people trying to lose weight.

To enhance its position, Dannon conducted a need-state study, psychological profiling and implicit reaction tests to more deeply understand shoppers.

The brand also moved from looking at behavior to motives, gained a wider understanding of customer needs beyond yoghurt and positioned itself less around product and more around deep insights - with successful results.

3

Carhartt: From workwear brand to craft brewer

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Stephen Whiteside, Event Reports, IEG Sponsorship, April 2015

This event report outlines how Carhartt, the workwear manufacturer, engaged consumers in a new way by developing a branded craft beer. View Summary

This event report outlines how Carhartt, the workwear manufacturer, engaged consumers in a new way by developing a branded craft beer.

Carhartt has long focused its efforts on people who work in some of the most physically-demanding professions imaginable.

Following the financial crisis, there was a renewed appreciation for self-reliance, repairing broken items, craftsmanship and locally-sourced products, helping it reach a wider audience.

To connect with hardworking men and women looking to wind down after work, Carhartt created a beer with local ingredients, and went on a tour across America to share a drink with craftspeople and consumers alike.

4

Brand extensions: Why Coke Life is doomed to fail

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Patrick Fagan, Admap, April 2015, pp. 18-19

This article argues that Coca-Cola's new low-sugar variant - Coca-Cola Life - is doomed to fail. View Summary

This article argues that Coca-Cola's new low-sugar variant - Coca-Cola Life - is doomed to fail.

To survive and thrive, brands must adapt to changing circumstances and demands - and Coca-Cola has done this successfully over generations.

More recently, the brand has introduced a lower-sugar variant - Coca-Cola Life - hoping to address rising concerns about calories and sugar content in drinks.

However, this is doomed to fail because consumers are not rational in their purchase decisions and the branding of Coke Life is unrecognisable as Coke because the colour is different.

Because the brand has lost its subconscious associations with a change in packaging colour, it will taste different to consumers.

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How to use brand models

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Merry Baskin, Warc Best Practice, March 2015

This article analyses what brand models are for, examines different types and provides a checklist of how to use them. View Summary

This article analyses what brand models are for, examines different types and provides a checklist of how to use them.

A brand model sets out why people should choose the brand, representing how we'd like the brand to be - how it behaves, is perceived, bought, used and valued.

Brand models are built around four types: classification, sequential or centrifugal, hierarchical, and metaphorical.

The most common brand model schematic is the Brand Pyramid, but there are many including the Brand Onion, Brand Bull's Eye, Brand Maps and Brand Key.

Be wary of allowing models to become corporate and creative straitjackets - they can be over-analytical, detached and outdated.

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Mythbuster: Pointless product development

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Les Binet and Sarah Carter, Admap, March 2015, pp. 9-9

This article argues that brands should refrain from new product development for the sake of having something 'new' to talk about, and instead build better emotional connections with consumers. View Summary

This article argues that brands should refrain from new product development for the sake of having something 'new' to talk about, and instead build better emotional connections with consumers.

This problem is rooted in the 'message myth', which is to persuade people with compelling product messages and a focus on 'new news'.

This drives the development of new products so that marketers have something new to talk about, but these products rarely catch people's attention beyond initial trial.

Instead of trying to sell products in this way, brands should focus on building emotional connections between consumers and established products.

7

What we know about building brands

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Warc Exclusive, February 2015

This article provides marketers with information and guidance on building brands. View Summary

This article provides marketers with information and guidance on building brands.

Key themes include the role of communications; positioning and differentiation; building brand purpose; launching new brands; managing a portfolio of brands; leveraging brand extensions; building disruptive and challenger brands; and refreshing/revitalising brands.

A new model for brand building is emerging in the digital era, but 'traditional' advertising remains important.

A rising theme in branding is 'purpose', with some research showing impressive growth as a result of this strategy.

Developing new lines for groups including babies, toddlers and dieters is another area of interest.

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Recruiting consumers for brand repositioning: how stroller brand Quinny did it

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Low Lai Chow, Event Reports, Qualitative 360, October 2014

This event report explains how Dorel, the juvenile products manufacturer, repositioned its Quinny stroller brand to appeal to urban parents, to stop cannibalisation of its other stroller brand in Europe. View Summary

This event report explains how Dorel, the juvenile products manufacturer, repositioned its Quinny stroller brand to appeal to urban parents, to stop cannibalisation of its other stroller brand in Europe.

The company's two stroller brands, Quinny and Maxi-Cosi, were cannibalising each other in Europe as they target the same group of consumers - so Dorel decided to reposition Quinny to appeal to urban parents.

To do this, the brand's marketing team needed to understand the lives of urban parents, so created an online community with 120 parents from seven cities around the world.

Insights included the importance of brand purpose in choosing a brand, the need to target fathers as well as mothers, and the development of new products.

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The agile brand

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Lois Jacobs and Thomas Ordahl, Admap, October 2014

This article explores the new demands made of brands as markets and disruption happen much quicker, and argues that 'agile brands' are the answer. View Summary

This article explores the new demands made of brands as markets and disruption happen much quicker, and argues that 'agile brands' are the answer.

Branding used to be about communicating abstract ideas through manufactured touchpoints and detailed guidelines.

However, hypercompetitive and rapidly evolving markets have changed this, with greater demands for transparency, and new business models disrupting the traditional.

In many ways, the most important branding practices are now the opposite of what they used to be - and above all else, brands should be agile.

Agile brands are adaptive, principled and networked; they lead the market, being active rather than reactive, work across multiple channels and think globally.

11

Brands and Innovation

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Jean-Noel Kapferer, Research on Warc, The Definitive Book of Branding, September 2014

This article demonstrates the importance of innovation to brands and how to brand innovation once it has been developed. View Summary

This article demonstrates the importance of innovation to brands and how to brand innovation once it has been developed.

Innovation is the only way in which brands that follow a premium pricing strategy can sustain that strategy; while also being crucial to low-cost business models that aim to disrupt established category rules.

Competition is often driven by widespread copying and brands must harvest the returns of innovation quickly as they may soon be imitated, a strategy used well by Zara, the fashion retailer.

Many innovations are incremental - product variants or line extensions, while a few will completely disrupt the category, such as the Toyota Prius, the electric car model, and Dyson, the bagless vacuum cleaner.

Branding of innovation can either be around one masterbrand name, or many brands created within a differently named "house".

This case study describes how PepsiCo used implicit response testing to create a roadmap for the extension of its Doritos snack brand. View Summary

This case study describes how PepsiCo used implicit response testing to create a roadmap for the extension of its Doritos snack brand.

The size of PepsiCo's megabrands market share makes innovation without cannibalisation difficult, so a range of innovations have been required which avoid this problem whilst respecting brand essence.

Implicit response testing was used to assess the business opportunity and brand fit of 28 potential brand extension ideas, with an online sample and the users' device of choice.

This method revealed an unexpected leader - Doritos Loaded, a hot appetiser for 7-Eleven stores - which was launched successfully, generating an RoI well over that previously expected.

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How Frito-Lay is entering the world of "discovery brands"

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Stephen Whiteside, Event Reports, IRI Summit, March 2014

This event report describes how Frito-Lay, the snack foods company owned by PepsiCo, approached 'discovery brands' in the US. View Summary

This event report describes how Frito-Lay, the snack foods company owned by PepsiCo, approached 'discovery brands' in the US. Discovery brands are defined as a trade-marked brand with small sales, and were found to account for 30%+ of value sales growth in 23 of the 25 top food and beverage categories. After researching how such brands succeed, the company concluded that large organisations such as Frito-Lay are ill-equipped to create these brands. This is because they are optimised towards certain types of brands with high profit margins, and do not dedicate resources to brands with uncertain prospects. However, the company can still access the discovery brands market by extending existing lines or acquiring existing brands.

This event report discusses how IMAN, the beauty brand targeted at multicultural consumers, has tapped into the rising affluence, digital savvy and comparative youth of its core audience. View Summary

This event report discusses how IMAN, the beauty brand targeted at multicultural consumers, has tapped into the rising affluence, digital savvy and comparative youth of its core audience. IMAN's strategy is embodied by the introduction of its BB Crème, which was unveiled on YouTube by a select group of beauty bloggers and made available to pre-order online, before then going on sale in bricks and mortar stores. On mobile, the brand's app uses the latest technology to identify a user's specific skin tone, and then recommends specific products from its range as a result. Social media has been another key channel for the brand as it builds direct relationships with consumers.

16

Bausch & Lomb: Building sales aids that sell

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Kieron Mathews and Siva Raj, MRS Awards, Winner, December 2013

This article describes how Bausch & Lomb, the eye health company, used heart rate monitoring and facial coding technology to test a sales tool for a new contact lens product. View Summary

This article describes how Bausch & Lomb, the eye health company, used heart rate monitoring and facial coding technology to test a sales tool for a new contact lens product.

The 'Detail Aid' has become a mandated process, with focus on content rather than creating an inspiring sales tool.

The research explained here tested a more creative Detail Aid, with healthcare professionals fitted with heart rate monitors and filmed by a camcorder using facial coding technology.

This was used to test the professionals' emotional reaction to the Detail Aid during a sales pitch, and was followed by a 'debrief' by a researcher to understand the participant's opinion of the Detail Aid.

This research helped the company to develop a successful sales tool, leading to its most successful contact lens product in a decade.

17

Luxury brand marketing: Designer extension

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Nicola Ko, Admap, November 2013, pp. 33-35

This article discusses a number of collaborative luxury brand extensions which are aimed at delivering an experience for consumers. View Summary

This article discusses a number of collaborative luxury brand extensions which are aimed at delivering an experience for consumers. Brand extensions should be consistent with brand values and reinforce the brand story. If a brand extension does not form a coherent part of a wider strategy it risks diluting the brand and losing the 'luxury' tag.

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Understanding brand equity: Frito-Lay taps into the emotions of American snackers

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Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, The Market Research Event, October 2013

This event report describes how Frito-Lay, the snack manufacturer owned by PepsiCo, is trying to combine rational and emotional advertising messages. View Summary

This event report describes how Frito-Lay, the snack manufacturer owned by PepsiCo, is trying to combine rational and emotional advertising messages. Working with a long standing campaign theme "Betcha Can't Just Eat One", Lay's continues to develop new products and promote its core rational benefit of being 'light, airy and crispy', whilst creating an emotional link for consumers. It is argued that brands should understand their equity and carefully measure how consumers regard them. To this end Frito-Lay is using research techniques like the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET), which makes use of pictures and metaphors when people cannot rationally explain their thoughts.

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How Kimberly-Clark uses global insights to shape North American innovation

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Geoffrey Precourt, Event Reports, The Market Research Event, October 2013

This event report describes how Kimberly-Clark, the consumer packaged goods company, uses ethnographic research around the world to drive innovation and incremental growth in its home market of North America where it leads most of its categories. View Summary

This event report describes how Kimberly-Clark, the consumer packaged goods company, uses ethnographic research around the world to drive innovation and incremental growth in its home market of North America where it leads most of its categories. For this process, the company focuses on two groups of consumers – heavy users and “outliers” (e.g. those with different beliefs, special needs or non-users) – to gain insights for developing new offerings from its mature brands or within its mature categories. Examples include: innovating in a mature category (creating Cottonelle FreshCare); innovating with a mature brand (leading to Kleenex Slim Pack); creating new categories with mature brands (resulting in the Truist skincare range); and innovating in mature categories with new brands (bringing about the Kleenex Hand Towel).

20

To innovate, less is more

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Phil Sutcliffe, Admap, April 2013, pp. 10-12

The typical model for innovation is that a company will launch many products in the hope that some of them will stick and become a success. View Summary

The typical model for innovation is that a company will launch many products in the hope that some of them will stick and become a success. This article argues that brands should focus on identifying a smaller number of ideas that don't even have to be ground-breaking. The key is to identify and develop products that are at least better than the choices that consumers already have, so that they can command a price premium. McCain Ready Baked Jackets was the most successful launch of 2012 and is used as a great example of an innovation that brings a new benefit to address an unmet or under-met need. As well as identifying the unmet or under-met need, a brand also needs to identify the concepts that are most likely to bring incremental growth. Using data from Kantar Worldpanel, the article shows how to be more successful when driving innovation.

21

Grow the core for brand success

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David Taylor, Market Leader, Quarter 2, 2013, pp. 23-26

This article describes a step-by-step process for brand owners to ensure their core business is kept refreshed and reinvented. View Summary

This article describes a step-by-step process for brand owners to ensure their core business is kept refreshed and reinvented. Economic and technological upheavals often result in loss of corporate focus, but research shows that most successful businesses are built on a solid foundation of a core business where a brand has a leading position. The core is important because it is the source of brand authority and credibility; it is also a business that the company masters thanks to many years of experience. While brand stretch can provide growth, this is difficult to accomplish successfully and risks dilution of core brand equity. To grow the core, there are three main features: to make the brand core as distinctive as possible, drive distribution through both existing and new channels, and core range extension. Sometimes it may be necessary to reinvent the core: in this case it is important to redefine the market based on consumer benefits, rather than products.

22

A true test of innovation

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David Soulsby, Admap, January 2013, pp. 34-35

An efficient innovation process calls for a stage known as concept screening. If innovation is to deliver value to the bottom line, then it is essential to get concept screening right. View Summary

An efficient innovation process calls for a stage known as concept screening. If innovation is to deliver value to the bottom line, then it is essential to get concept screening right. Traditional concept screening evaluates ideas among 150-200 target consumers across a selection of metrics (purchase intent being the most common). But potential take up for a product actually has a weak correlation to the level of growth that product is likely to deliver. Using the example of Kodak Funtime Film, the article explains how the incremental value that a product will deliver needs to be examined during concept screening if major cannibalisation is to be avoided.

23

Brand portfolio strategy

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Nick Liddell, Warc Best Practice, October 2012, pp. 42-43

Some brands, such as Apple and L'Oreal, have very successful brand portfolios, while others get it wrong with a brand architecture that is a confusing mess of sub-brands. View Summary

Some brands, such as Apple and L'Oreal, have very successful brand portfolios, while others get it wrong with a brand architecture that is a confusing mess of sub-brands. This article advises how to make brand portfolios interesting, while still being able to speak to the target consumer audience. Suggested strategy includes to build from the commercial priorities of the business, demonstrate a unique point of view, assign clear roles for growth, establish a simple hierarchy, employ imaginative visual and verbal signposts and encourage play and creativity.

The success of brand extensions is crucial for businesses. This study examines the performance of successful and failing new brand extensions. View Summary

The success of brand extensions is crucial for businesses. This study examines the performance of successful and failing new brand extensions. The analysis framework consists of purchase data for 47 extensions across 30 consumer packaged-goods categories in a large-scale U.K.-based consumer panel. The results show that the performance of successful new extensions is comparable to that of established ones by the second quarter following their launch. Successful extensions continue to gain customers from that point forward. Failing extensions, however, show declines in both the number of customers and the repeat-purchase rate from the third quarter onwards. The study suggests a diagnostic framework to assess the performance of new brand extensions.

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So many different suns: How successful brands hit the conflux of affordability and aspiration

This paper discusses how brands can be positioned in emerging markets like India as both affordable and desirable, challenging the assumed incompatibility of low priced and aspirational positionings. View Summary

This paper discusses how brands can be positioned in emerging markets like India as both affordable and desirable, challenging the assumed incompatibility of low priced and aspirational positionings. It looks at what creates "star" brands at all market levels and discusses the Theory of Multiple Poverty Lines, which argues that there are multiple affluence pyramids and points of affluence that individuals aspire to, and that it is possible to identify the conflux between aspiration and affordability at the various market levels. Examples from the Indian market are discussed, including Samsung (successful in this respect) and the Tata Nano car (less successful). Overall, the paper provides a deeper understanding of the dynamics between these concepts and consumption behaviour, to arrive at a framework that helps marketers make better brand decisions in emerging markets.